Central Va. psychic loses appeal to US panel

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A federal appeals panel has rejected a psychic's claims that Chesterfield County's zoning and business licensing regulations violate her religious and free-speech rights.

The three judges with the 4th U.S. Court of Appeals on Tuesday affirmed a lower court ruling that the regulations challenged by Patricia Moore-King are minimal and do not violate her First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech or exercise of religion.

The dispute arose after the county's attempts to enforce a zoning ordinance that would require Moore-King to move her office from a suburban Richmond office complex that includes mental health professionals to a more industrial area of the county.

Moore-King describes herself as a psychic and spiritual counselor. She goes by the name "Psychic Sophie."